The main raw material was rock, lava rock, and the settlers built everything
they could with it. This is an old oven used to boil chalk for covering
the homes in white

An old friars monastery gate. showing intricate stone work look at the
shell at the top

Windmills were the main way we got
flour from our corn.
the island used to be full of them

These windmill were originally built by order of the
king given to the rich

Today they are abandoned and in disrepair

As a youngster I used to bring sacks of corn to these mills and wait
for the slow churning of the mills stones to turn it into flour

The mill owner kept a part of the flour as a charge for milling

Me with y cousin Manuel at his home.

Me at my cousins porch over looking the ocean and the island of Faial
in the background

From my dad's place you get a pretty good view

From my granddad's place you used to get a good view until this guy built
the new house in front

There are thousands of miles of stone walls all over this island these
walls are carefully placed rocks on top of each other with no cement and
some walls have stood for over 500 years surviving earth quakes and
eruptions

there are many old world details in the homes

My brother Vital, my dad and me

This is my uncle Joe getting his equipment ready to go spray the
vineyards

An old house made of stone no cement and still standing after hundreds
of years

Me on top of a hill over looking the Atlantic and the island of Faial
to the left

My cousin Luis on top of the same hill looking landwards

An old abandoned home

The view from half-way up the mountain looking down to the ocean

royal coat of arms
of Portugal

The cross of the Order of
Christ in front of my church

Arriving in Pico by
boat from Faial takes 15 minutes

What's left of an ancient volcano that exploded before Pico was born

Madalena, Pico, a morning view with the church in silhouette

the view from my
uncles house in Faial looking back at Pico

the city of Horta

Leaving the city of
Horta by ferry.The island of Faial
and the city of Horta

My cousin Zeca
greets me as I arrive on Horta

the city of Horta was a first stop for trans Atlantic flights to refuel
and continue on to Europe

the city of Horta

the city of Horta

Cruise ship in the
channelThe island of Sao
Miguel

Me with my cousin Zeca on the island across the way. This is the view from his dad's house.
see the Island of Pico in the background and the cruise ship between our
heads